Scholarships: approximately $1 million awarded to 400 students Education-related research dollar expenditures: $74,518,495 (FY24) FOR ACADEMIC YEAR 2023–2024
THE JAYHAWK EDUCATOR
is published by the University of Kansas School of Education & Human Sciences for the School’s more than 35,000 alumni. Dean Rick Ginsberg, Ph.D. Editor Aspen Grender Design Robin Ward, The Write Design
Thanks to Joel A. Colbert, David Egnor, Noah Ginsberg, Grace Gomez, Laura Meyer and Michelle Stickland/Craig Jackson Jr., KU Endowment Association, Elizabeth Kozleski, Mike Krings/KU News Service, KU Alumni Association, Danica Moore, Katarina Moore, Belinda Reynolds, Wayne Sailor, Tonya A. Waller, Andy White
Alumni updates and requests for more information may be sent to: KU School of Education & Human Sciences Attn: The Jayhawk Educator Joseph R. Pearson Hall 1122 West Campus Road, Room 101 Lawrence, KS 66045-3101
For more information, e-mail soehs@ku.edu. State
were not used to pay for any part of this publication.
this piece the nation just came through a very contentious election. While the impact is very unclear, what we do know is that we will have a new president elected, and the make-up of Congress will undergo some significant shifts. It seems clear that higher education will have some new pressures, likely some altered priorities.
At the same time, conflicts in the Middle East and Eastern Europe raise uncertainties and controversies that spill over to campuses across the country. All this, at a time when artificial intelligence will challenge decades and decades of approaches to teaching, learning and work as we know it. Suffice to say, it certainly is a highly dynamic culture we live in.
The good news is that while many colleges across the country are facing significant enrollment and fiscal challenges, KU is on a positive trajectory and thriving in many ways. Last year, for example, KU experienced its largest freshman class to date, and this year, we exceeded those numbers. At a time when some in our culture are questioning the value of higher education, and the college-age eligible student population is entering what some call an “enrollment cliff” with declining numbers of high school graduates, KU is bucking the trend. I am proud to report for our School that the increase in student credit hour productivity at both the undergraduate and graduate levels exceeded the university averages. We were even up very slightly in the teacher preparation undergraduate programs, an area facing double-digit declines across the nation.
So a lot of excitement is buzzing around Mount Oread. We have several key priorities we are tackling for the foreseeable future. One relates to the aforementioned growth in artificial intelligence, which likely will unlock possibilities we’ve only dreamed about in education.
You all are probably familiar with ChatGPT, Gemini, Co-Pilot and the other large language artificial intelligence models out there. But the spin-offs are just simply amazing, and we have an obligation to understand all these developments and teach our students their use, which we all expect will be part of what might be considered the “new literacy” looking ahead.
Another priority is one we have labeled Responsible Discourse. The election brings a lot of noise with it, but even before, and certainly after, issues with truth, kindness, just treating others with respect, are significant for the health of our country. Who better to take this on than the School of Education & Human Sciences?
Finally, we are all very aware that we live in the midst of rapidly changing times. What some education scholars have referred to as the “grammar of schooling,” the regularities that have underscored work in schools and universities, is poised for dramatic shifts. So we are undertaking an initiative called “Looking Forward,” which has us examining all facets of our work to propel us to the forefront of changes that will be necessary looking ahead. In some ways it is rather daunting, but we all agree there is much that needs be done given the “zeitgeist” of the times.
I would be remiss in not mentioning the university’s current capital campaign, Ever Onward. We rely a great deal on your generosity and support, and are looking forward to offering you multiple ways to support our students and our work as part of the campaign plan. See more about Ever Onward on page 26 of this issue.
I’ll close with a hearty thank you to you all for caring about our students, faculty, staff and School. I am in my 20th year as Dean, with a plan to step back at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year. It is my great pleasure and gift to be in this role serving all those we engage with. Have a great year, never hesitate to reach out with ideas, comments, or questions ... and Rock Chalk!
Ginsberg
New departmental leadership
In the past year, the KU School of Education & Human Sciences has welcomed new chairs to two of its departments.
DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
Professor Jennifer Kurth became the interim chair of the Department of Special Education in summer 2023 and official chair in summer 2024.
Michael Wehmeyer, former chair and Ross and Marianna Beach Distinguished Professor Emeritus in Special Education, stepped down in June 2023 and retired in August 2024. He was hired as chair of the department in July 2017 and served as part of the department’s faculty since 1999.
Kurth came to KU in 2013 and is also an affiliated faculty member at the University of Kansas Center on Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. Her academic interests include methods implementing inclusive education. Kurth’s research also examines how teachers, students and family interactions support and constrain learning and socialization in general education classrooms. Additionally, she studies how teacher candidates develop their dispositions and skills in inclusive practices.
“I am very pleased that Jenny Kurth agreed to serve a full term as chair of special education,” says Rick Ginsberg, dean of the School. “She is a renowned scholar and advocate in the field who stepped up as interim chair last year and led with great distinction. In working with the faculty and staff in special education, we all agreed that she is the right person to lead the department and deserves the opportunity for a full term as chair.”
Of the appointment, Kurth says, “I thank the faculty and staff for their support during my previous year as interim department chair. I look forward to continuing to work with everyone in the coming years to maintain and strengthen the Department of Special Education.”
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP & POLICY STUDIES
Professor Jennifer Ng became the chair of the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies in summer 2024.
Susan Twombly, former chair and professor emeritus in the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, stepped down in June 2023 and retired in August 2024 after serving as chair since August 2006 and as a faculty member since 1985.
Lisa Wolf-Wendel, Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor of Higher Education in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, served as interim department chair from July 2023 to June 2024.
Ng came to KU in 2004 and has spent her career studying the work of educators in K-12 and higher education settings — always with an interest in how race, culture, class, geography and other forms of difference matter. She is an award-winning teacher with additional distinctions for her service to the KU campus and the state of Kansas. Ng has served in several senior leadership positions at KU, including as interim vice provost for the Office of Diversity & Equity and associate vice provost for the Office of Faculty Affairs. Prior to her career in higher education, she was a middle school English teacher in Houston, Texas.
“Jennifer Ng has been a faculty member with ELPS since 2004, rising through the ranks to full professor in 2019,” says Ginsberg. “I join the department in their excitement about appointing her as chair of educational leadership and policy studies.”
“I’m excited to serve in this role and champion the outstanding faculty, dedicated staff, and amazing students of ELPS,” Ng says.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
The next BIG IDEA starts here.
The power of community can collectively ignite the next BIG IDEAS, which are already in the hearts and minds of Jayhawks.
Your generosity and support will help fuel the flame of innovation, contribute to cutting-edge research, transform student services, and build healthy and vibrant communities.
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Kurth
Ng
Mini Wheat State Tour takes KU faculty and staff members on one-day tour of Kansas
Years ago, the University of Kansas sponsored a multi-day bus trip for new hires to get to know the state of Kansas and build community with colleagues. Although the university has not sponsored such a trip in recent years, in spring 2024 the School of Education & Human Sciences launched a “mini” one of its own.
On May 31, 2024, colleagues from across the KU community hit the road for a Mini Wheat State Tour — a one-day tour of Kansas designed to give employees from across the university an up-close look at some of the places that make our state special, and better understanding of the places and communities from which our students come.
Hosted by the KU School of Education & Human Sciences, the tour included stops at the Brown v. Board of Education Museum in Topeka, where visitors had time to explore the museum and attended a 20-minute talk from staff; historic Council Grove, where visitors explored local shops and heard a short talk about the town’s history from
Exploring downtown Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, on the 2024 Mini Wheat State Tour
PHOTOS COURTESY NOAH GINSBERG
Tour participants in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas
“
We had a great day seeing parts of Kansas that many never experience if they don’t get off of I-70. The state has a compelling history and so much to offer.”
—Rick Ginsberg, dean
a local chamber of commerce member and ate lunch at the historic Hays House; Tall Grass National Preserve, which included a short talk from a ranger, time to walk trails and a visit to a 19th century house and barn on the grounds; and Cottonwood Falls, another unique historic town, with a tour of the renowned Court House.
“We had a great day seeing parts of Kansas that many never experience if they don’t get off of I-70, while offering a unique opportunity for tour members to meet colleagues from across the School and campus,” says Rick Ginsberg, dean of the School of Education & Human Sciences.
“The state has a compelling history and so much to offer, so hopefully we can continue the tours in the years ahead.”
Attendees included faculty and staff members from multiple campus units, including the School of Music, KU Libraries, the Hall Center for the Humanities, the William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communications, the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, and the School of Education & Human Sciences.
“The tour was a wonderful opportunity to meet colleagues from beyond the library and to discover facets of Kansas I had not known before,” says Milton Machuca-Gálvez, assistant librarian for Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American and Caribbean Studies at KU, who attended the outing.
KU LAUNCHES CERTIFICATE IN NAME, IMAGE AND LIKENESS
In 2021, the NCAA granted approval for student-athletes to generate revenue from their name, image and likeness. It became unchartered territory for both student-athletes and universities.
The University of Kansas — through a joint effort between the Department of Health, Sport & Exercise Sciences, the School of Education & Human Sciences, and Kansas Athletics — has developed a certificate that helps navigate this unchartered territory, becoming the first Power 5 school to offer a certificate in this new field.
The undergraduate certificate provides students with a core set of skills in the NIL field. This certificate is designed to serve students who are interested in working in the NIL space as well as student-athletes looking for training on how to manage their own name, image and likeness. Students who complete the certificate will benefit from training in sport management, athlete and personal branding, content creation and other relevant areas to help prepare them as leaders in the rapidly growing area of NIL.
“Other than conference realignment, I think nothing is more important or changing the landscape of college sports more dramatically than name, image and likeness,” says Jordan Bass, chair of the health, sport & exercise sciences department. “Some of our students expressed interest working in that space, so we designed the certificate to try to give them the training and the background to do so when they graduate from KU, while also giving our student-athletes the opportunity to learn about it from their side.”
“They learned about branding in general, but then also how athletes brand themselves and then how they can transfer that to their own brand,” says Brian Gordon, associate professor of sport management, who developed and taught Athlete and Personal Branding in fall 2023.
Nataliya Bredikhina, assistant professor of sport management, also developed and was the instructor for Foundations of Name, Image and Likeness in fall 2023.
“I want them to be coming out of this class with a solid understanding of where we were in terms of amateurism and NCAA regulations before NIL and where they are now,” she says, “and what student athletes are allowed and not allowed to do.”
More than 100 students are already enrolled in the certificate, and the third core course, Content Creation in Sport, was first taught by Sayvon Foster in spring 2024. The certificate requires 12 credit hours — three required courses and one elective, and can be earned in two semesters. The first NIL certificate from the University of Kansas was awarded in the spring of 2024.
Tour participants with a Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, guide
Faculty research
Toward the future of learning and leading
Faculty support takes educators to new heights
Lisa Dieker is a teacher at her core: She makes the most of the resources that come her way.
The distinguished professor in the University of Kansas School of Education & Human Sciences has been able to build on private support, in amounts large and small, to advance her research innovations in simulation and artificial intelligence to advance education.
Dieker, the Williamson Family Distinguished Professor in Special Education, leads the new Flexible Learning through Innovations in Technology and Education (FLITE) center in the Achievement and Assessment Institute, part of KU’s Office of Research. She joined the KU faculty in August 2023.
Dieker focuses on simulation and innovations in technology, including her current funded projects at FLITE that are working to develop artificial intelligence agents to support students with disabilities in inclusive settings, as well as creating observational tagging tools and harvesting resources for coaches and special education teachers in STEM instruction.
While she is an advanced professor in a distinguished professorship, she worked her way up to that level and says investments in education faculty go a long way.
“My very first grant was $500, but because of that, I was able to get a $1 million grant later because I did a pilot study,” Dieker says. “I think often times the exponential impact of funding sometimes doesn’t have to be the biggest gift.”
Rick Ginsberg, dean, says Dieker’s research is remarkable in the way it combines technology and special education.
“Lisa Dieker’s work is on the cutting edge of AI technology uses to support students with disabilities. It has and will continue to impact practice in the U.S. and around the globe,” he says.
Dieker’s work would not be possible without philanthropic support, she says, and much of the beauty of support from donors is that the purpose of the gift can be a team effort that speaks to a donor’s passion.
“Faculty and donors can co-construct dreams together, whether they’re interested in special education or saving the environment — it’s still different than a grant or foundation funding where you have to meet specific parameters,” she says. “With these gifts, donors and faculty can dream together, which is really exciting.”
Exploring the transformation of education with the advent of artificial intelligence
The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) presents several new and exciting opportunities for improving the quality of education. While several ways of integrating AI into schooling have been explored, only a few of them consider changing the traditional school operations and educational practices.
In a recent article that was published in the ECNU Review of Education, Yong Zhao, Foundation Distinguished Professor in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, explored more radical changes that may be applied to traditional schooling to fully utilize the potential of AI technology for benefiting students.
—Yong Zhao “
AI is no doubt a powerful technology, but it is easy to underestimate its power. Schools could be transformed with the advancement of technology.”
“Numerous publications have appeared — all trying to suggest, recommend and predict the future of AI uses in education. However, most of the discussions, regardless of their scholarly quality, are primarily focused on using AI in the traditional arrangement of schools,” Zhao says. “The assumption is that everything the traditional school has operated with shall remain the same. AI tools, according to most of the advice, are to be incorporated into teaching by teachers just like previous technologies.”
By investigating a broader view of possible changes that can be applied to the current schooling system, the article not only suggests ways of utilizing the potential of AI technology better but also deals with leveraging AI to support personalized learning. The article notes that although personalized learning has clearly demonstrated benefits, it has not been widely implemented in schools in its true sense. AI tools present a unique opportunity to implement personalized learning, customized to individual student needs harnessing their unique talents and potential.
The science of reading, math and solving word problems
Research from KU has found that an intervention based on the science of reading and math effectively helped English learners boost their comprehension, visualize and synthesize information and make connections that significantly improved their math performance.
Traditional schooling systems aim to create members of the workforce. AI, however, has disrupted the job market, eliminated traditional career roles and created new roles. In the article, Zhao notes that focusing and building on each child’s innate talents and unique strengths is essential for them to be successful in any career of their choice. Since any potential talent when sufficiently honed is valuable in the age of AI, he argues that educational systems must focus on students’ strengths rather than their weaknesses. Furthermore, the article suggests that the traditional curricula might need to change to make way for personalized education. Students could use AI and other resources to follow their interests and passion. This might also eliminate the requirement for age-based classes and promote learning with tools, resources, experts and peers aligned with the same interests rather than age.
Besides personalized education, AI can also be effective in facilitating project-based learning. The article notes that AI tools can help schools inculcate skills such as problem solving and independent thinking in students, transforming them into individuals with critical thinking and analytical skills. Integrating AI into the education system will also transform the role of teachers. They would become coaches and mentors who would work with the students to help them identify their strengths and potential and guide them to become the best versions of themselves. They would also need to be updated with the AI tools and help students utilize AI as a learning partner.
Traditional educational systems resist change — and now, with the advent of AI, there are several more incentives for changing how schools operate. In the article, Zhao examines the question of whether and how educational systems can change in the age of AI. By considering broad-based changes to the schooling system, he suggests that the true potential of AI in learning can be unlocked.
“AI is no doubt a powerful technology, but it is easy to underestimate its power. Uses in the traditional classroom to assist students and teachers in learning and teaching helps, but they also minimize the transformative power of AI,” Zhao says. “Schools could be transformed with the advancement of technology, especially generative AI. The changes should start with student-driven, personalized learning and problem-oriented pedagogy.”
The intervention, performed for 30 minutes twice a week for 10 weeks with 66 third grade English language learners who displayed math learning difficulties, improved students’ performance when compared with students who received general instruction. That indicates emphasizing cognitive concepts involved in the science of reading and math are key to helping students improve, according to researchers.
“Word problem-solving is influenced by both the science of reading and the science of math. Key components include number sense, decoding, language comprehension and working memory. Utilizing direct and explicit teaching methods enhances understanding and enables students to effectively connect these skills to solve math problems,” says Michael Orosco, professor of educational psychology at KU and lead author of the study. “This integrated approach ensures that students are equipped with necessary tools to navigate both the linguistic and numerical demands of word problems.”
The intervention incorporates comprehension strategy instruction in both reading and math, focusing and decoding, phonological awareness, vocabulary development, inferential thinking, contextualized learning and numeracy.
“It is proving to be one of the most effective evidencebased practices available for this growing population,” Orosco says.
The study, co-written with Deborah Reed of the University of Tennessee, was published in the journal Learning Disabilities Research and Practice
Learn more: rockcha.lk/word-problem-solving
—Michael Orosco “
It is proving to be one of the most effective evidencebased practices available for this growing population.”
A history of history education standards
History teachers strive to show students what the past can tell us about today. But what can state standards on history education teach students about the past and the present, and how to think critically?
A recent article from a KU scholar examines the history of state history education standards and provides a road map for teachers to use the standards themselves as lessons.
Stephen Jackson, assistant professor of educational leadership & policy studies, volunteered to be a part of a state work group in 2021 to develop new history education standards in South Dakota. The document the group produced was eventually rejected by state leaders, and the controversy that ensued ultimately resulted in new standards favoring politicians over educators and historians. The event led to a related march on the South Dakota Capitol. Similar controversies have happened in other states including Texas, Florida and Virginia.
While the culture wars and debates around education standards happen outside of the classroom, the results are felt within.
“Professional historians aren’t often deeply affected by these standards, but students are,” Jackson says. “I argue that standards are essentially a sanctioned version of history — and, generally speaking, they tend to produce bad history, because they often fall victim to overt politicization in a way that can be detrimental to students.”
In his article, published in the American Historical Review, Jackson both outlines the history and evolution of state history standards and provides a guideline for teachers to use their own state’s history standards as an exercise in how history is taught and preserved, and what it means for society today.
How students, designers view classrooms and belonging
The way people interact with the built environment can influence whether they feel comfortable in a space or if they feel they belong among people who gather there. But the people who design learning spaces and those who use them might not feel the same about them.
A recent study from KU finds that students and classroom designers had different perceptions of the masculine and feminine traits of classroom spaces and how those features influenced their sense of belonging therein.
Researchers asked undergraduates and classroom design professionals about their perceptions of classrooms with design features classified as masculine and feminine, finding they had strong, opposite correlations between their perceptions of femininity and sense of belonging in the spaces. The authors say the findings emphasize the need for better understanding of how students perceive learning spaces and how learning spaces can foster a sense of belonging.
Studies have shown that how students perceive learning spaces influences their sense of belonging and that when they feel they belong they have better educational outcomes. But little work has been done on specific design features and how people perceive them as being associated with masculinity or femininity and how such traits influence their sense of belonging in classes conducted in the rooms that include them. In two new studies, researchers surveyed undergraduates and design professionals about their reactions to four learning spaces.
—Cheryl Wright “ Wright
Cheryl Wright, assistant teaching professor in curriculum & teaching and a study co-author, says she regularly sees the difference a classroom makes in how students engage with a class. When students learn about polarizing topics that can be personally or politically charged, those who are not comfortable in the space may not feel like they belong in a discussion.
“We definitely want to have interactions and dialogue where people feel safe. We don’t just mean physically safe, but safe to share their thoughts,” Wright says. “On topics that are difficult to discuss, the space in which they learn is critical.”
Learn more: rockcha.lk/classroom-belonging
We definitely want to have interactions and dialogue where people feel safe. We don’t mean just physically safe, but safe to share their thoughts.”
—Lisa Dieker “
With the amount of stress on teachers, we want to be helpful and give them what they need in a timely and personalized fashion.”
Coaching educators
It’s not easy to go from teaching high school math and physics to teaching kindergarten special education. Yet that kind of movement in the teaching career is more common than one might realize. Even teachers who stay in one field may need to refine their skills in targeted areas, so researchers at the University of Kansas are leading a project to bring coaching to educators who teach math and science to students in special education classes.
The FLITE: STEM Coaching project in its third year is providing free coaching, tools and evidence-based practices to educators in a way that allows them to record and evaluate teaching performances easily. The project is named for the Flexible Learning Through Innovations in Technology and Education, the research center at KU led by Lisa Dieker, Williamson Family Distinguished Professor in Special Education.
The FLITE research center offers free coaching and technology to help even seasoned educators refine classroom skills
“When you go to the doctor, they don’t say, ‘Well, you look good. Have a good day.’ They ask questions. They take a look at you as an individual and run tests.
That’s what we want to do with coaches who support teachers by allowing them to help developing teachers take a look at their practices in working with students with disabilities in STEM areas so they can be their best,” Dieker says. “With the amount of stress on teachers, we want to be helpful and give them what they need in a timely and personalized fashion.”
One component of the project is the coaching model. It supports employees within a school or district as coaches for educators teaching math and science to students in special education. Coaches can then work with teachers to improve their existing skills and learn research-backed best practices for effectively teaching students in this population.
A second component gives coaches and teachers the technology to video record a session teaching their students. Known as the observational dashboard, this component features tagging software developed by Charles Hughes of the University of Central Florida, co-principal investigator of the project, which allows coaches to tag instances of a practice they are working on.
“With the tagging software, you could say, for example, ‘Look, you asked open-ended questions five times’ without having to rewind or fast-forward the video observation,” Dieker says. “Coaches working with teachers also can set goals and say, ‘Let’s try to get to seven times.’”
The project’s third component provides a resource library of research-backed best practices in special education and STEM teaching. The suite of resources gives teachers and coaches materials to help retool skills needing improvement. The dashboard contains general best practices and specific approaches to meet individual STEM students’ needs.
Learn more: rockcha.lk/math-science-coaching
2024 RESEARCH & TEACHING FESTIVAL
Want to see more KU faculty research?
At the 2024 Research & Teaching Festival on February 12, School of Education & Human Sciences scholars shared new research & developments in their fields during 5-minute presentations.
Watch the full conference online: rockcha.lk/research-teaching-fest24
Recently published books by faculty
Fostering Sustained Student-Faculty Engagement in Undergraduate Education, Promoting Meaningful Student-Faculty Experiences in Graduate Education
Two new books co-written by Eugene T. Parker III (associate professor, ELPS) examine how to move beyond the conventional measures of student-faculty interactions to consider new ways of building meaningful relationships. Parker and Teniell L. Trolian of the State University of New York–Albany, have dedicated nearly a decade of research to understand better how students and faculty interact in higher education and how that affects student success. The result is these books that consider the college environment, different types of interactions and the quality of those experiences to help educators provide meaningful engagement.
Principles That Shape English Teacher Education: Pedagogy for Innovation and Change
How do you teach someone to be a teacher? And what does it mean to be a professional educator? Those questions are at the heart of this book, co-edited by Heidi Hallman (professor and chair, C&T), who is working to guide the methods of how English arts
teachers are prepared to lead their own classrooms. Examining both theory and practice of the methods course, a class every aspiring teacher takes to learn the practice of being an educator, Hallman seeks to inspire English teacher educators with practical ways to apply methods of preparing future teachers.
Promoting Equitable Classroom Practices in Higher Education:
Approaches Beyond Curriculum
This book, co-edited by Heidi Hallman (chair and professor, C&T), was published by Information Age Publishing in 2024.
Resource Guide: Engaging in Statewide Advocacy for First-Generation College Students
In the United States, 20 percent of first-generation college students will graduate within six years with a baccalaureate degree, despite making up 54 percent of college attendees overall (RTI International, 2019, 2023). Reasons for this disparity include challenges institutions create for first-gen college students, such as higher education’s rising cost; increased financial stress; complicated, hidden academy norms; and lower extracurricular involvement levels. Dallas Doane (associate professor of practice, ELPS) has partnered with the national Center for First-generation Student Success, an initiative of the National Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), to create this resource guide to help college and university staff advance advocacy for first-gen students.
Focused: Understanding, Negotiating, and Maximizing Your Influence as a School Leader
No one can do everything, but that is exactly what many school leaders feel like they must do. This book aims to help those who often feel overwhelmed focus on what they can and should do and how to help teachers and students lead schools to reaching their full potential. Written by Jim Watterston and Yong Zhao (Foundation Distinguished Professor, EPSY; courtesy professor, ELPS), the book aims to help educational administrators guide schools to success without getting weighed down by things they can’t control. The book shares stories of leaders from around the world.
Functional Assessmentbased Intervention: A Practical, Effective, and Integrated Approach
This book, co-authored by Kathleen Lane (Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor, SPED), was published by Guilford in 2024.
Transnational Language Teacher
Identities in TESOL: Identity Construction Among Female International Students in the U.S.
This book, co-authored by Hyesun Cho (professor, C&T), was published by Routledge in 2023.
Remembering Tom Skrtic
Tom Skrtic was a beloved educator and valued member of the KU School of Education & Human Sciences community. He died November 19, 2021 at age 75.
Skrtic came to KU in 1976 as an assistant professor in both the Department of Special Education and the Department of Curriculum & Instruction. He was promoted to associate professor in those departments in 1981 and to full professor of special education in 1990. He was named the Gene A. & Gretchen Budig Teaching Professor in Special Education for the 2005-2006 academic year and the Williamson Family Distinguished Professor of Special Education in 2015, a title he held until his death.
Colleagues and friends continue to reflect on his life, memory and legacy.
See complete versions of these excerpts online: medium.com/@soehs/remembering-tom-skrtic-f0d2c5fcdb28
I first met Tom in the fall of 1976. He was a new faculty member, and I was beginning my doctoral dissertation in curriculum & instruction. We began our relationship when P.L. 94-142 was enacted and KU received a significant grant to implement the new law. Tom worked on policy analysis, and I worked on curriculum design.
We became friends almost immediately. The friendship grew over the years, and we never lost touch. Tom was a devoted brother and son. In fact, his passion for special education began and developed as he cared for his sister, Cathy. I knew her as well and understood his passion for special education and having to deal with the inequities in educational delivery services for people with disabilities.
When I left KU, I came to California and taught for a total of 40-plus years, both in K-12 and in higher education. I visited Lawrence annually and always met with Tom over a beer or lunch.
Tom’s reputation in special education was stellar and our doctoral students thoroughly enjoyed meeting with him to discuss his research and experiences.
When he passed away, I was crushed. He left a legacy as a caring special educator and friend. His impact on the field will be everlasting as will his impact on our friendship.
—by Joel A. Colbert (Ed.D., 1977)
PHOTOS COURTESY TOM SKRTIC MEMORIAL
Tom Skrtic was simultaneously my friend, colleague and hero. Occasions of sitting in on his doctoral classes, extended conversations in his often smoke-filled office and perusing his vast published works have greatly impacted my own personal philosophy as well as my academic output.
Special education, a branch of general education with its own federal statute, is largely a practitioner-driven profession, informed by the scientific disciplines of psychology, sociology and anthropology, with behavioral psychology the dominant force in guiding its praxis. As such, it is rare to find an internationally recognized philosopher in its academic midst. But that was what Tom brought to the field. His view of what we collectively do was from 30,000 feet. His impact on the field today has been, and continues to be, enormous.
Tom produced a large compendium of books, chapters and journal articles over the course of his career at KU, but two books in particular continue to stand out as seminal works in the field. Behind Special Education, published in 1991, laid out his philosophical argument for the emerging crisis in special education (and the social professions generally) resulting from strict adherence to practices derived from positivism, the dominant paradigm of modernity, and the more recent trend toward subjectivism (or interpretivism).
Tom’s work provides the intellectual ammunition with which to proceed with a reform agenda. In Disability and Democracy, published in 1995, Tom encouraged education academics to develop new grounded theory geared to deconstructing professional bureaucracy — and substituting what he termed “adhocracy” in its place, using critical pragmatism as the methodology.
Tom’s impact on all aspects of education in America is in full swing today. Increasingly, articles appear in the prestigious journals of the field calling for substantive reform of special education law and regulations as well as in school applications. His work, for example, is often cited in ongoing published critiques of the inclusion movement. Tom’s legacy is intact in ongoing public policy arenas in the U.S. Office of Special Education (OSEP) wherein some of his former doctoral students are well positioned.
Tom is sorely missed but his legacy lives on, and marginalized American school children will continue to be the beneficiaries.
—by Wayne Sailor, professor emeritus of special education
I was standing at the bar at The Oread waiting for Tom Skrtic to show up. I’d known Tom by name for at least 15 years and as a colleague for at least eight. It had been a time since I’d seen him but he was definitely one of the reasons that I wanted to come to Lawrence. I was on my job visit in 2012.
As I was ordering a glass of merlot, I turned around to glance at the door. There was Tom striding up to the bar. He was wearing something I’d never seen on him before, a three-piece suit. I would come to recognize his one dress-up outfit which he wore to solemn and important occasions. It was probably purchased in the early ’90s, a gray suit complete with a vest. He was proud to have it on and mentioned it as his opening gambit, “Do you like my suit? I wore it just for you. I even added the vest though I think it might be a little hot for it. I wanted you to see that I knew how to dress up.”
His friend and wonderful scholar still at KU, Argun Saatcioglu, joined us. We laughed and talked about the University of Kansas Department of Special Education, the field in general, our hopes and dreams for the future of special education. We imagined what the department could become with the infusion of new folks who were coming on board and might come in the future. That conversation of possibility and hope enlarged my understanding of the breadth of what Tom brought to our still evolving field. Tom drew me to the opportunity to work at a university that had such stature in its community and cared so deeply about the people of Kansas.
[Tom] led with his heart and his soul and kept on doing it throughout his life. He cared deeply for the students and his colleagues, and for what the University of Kansas stood for in the special education community writ large.
His intellectual contribution to the world of disability was borne of the time in which he lived. His family, though urged by their local school system to institutionalize Tom’s sister, rejected that sentence. Tom grew up in time to have his name in the lottery for young men to be drafted for the Vietnam war. The wrenching fight over that war, fought disproportionately by young men and women from working class and racially diverse backgrounds was never redressed for those who came home. At the same time, Johnson’s War on Poverty, the Voting Rights Bill, the Elementary and Secondary Act, all intent on legitimizing everyone’s role in building a universally accessible, democratic union was fought at the margins of our school systems — in fact, schools were still being desegregated as late as the early 1970s. Tom came of age as a scholar in the midst of that tumultuous time.
His significant work was foregrounding dis/ability not as a problem to be eradicated but as an eddy in the caste system that imbues all our life stories with the historical and lived exercise of individual, group and political power threaded through familial, professional, commercial and governmental systems. Universal designs for learning — culturally sustaining lifelong learning, access and opportunity to learn — are built on the foundations of the thinking that Tom and his colleagues initiated. The University of Kansas is a great standard bearer for that kind of foundation. Tom helped to put it on the map and keep it there.
There was never a time that Tom turned down an assignment or an idea or a possibility that I brought to him. He was always there to shape ideas, create community and get the work done, ensuring that everybody’s voice was heard. I admired the teacher that he strove to be. He led students to think in ways that they had never been challenged to think, to read broadly outside our field, and to bring those ideas to the design of systems that were big enough, bold enough and full of enough ambition to believe that education was within everyone’s grasp.
Tom’s mind was amazing. He remembered minute details of conversations he had had with colleagues, dissidents and challengers to the positions that he took over the years. He challenged us all to consider the breadth of what it could mean to ensure that everyone had access and opportunity within a single, unified education community.
It was his greatest accomplishment to ensure that his sister Cathy had an enviable life full of relationships with all kinds of people. Cathy lived in Lawrence in her own home, supported by Tom until her death in 2020. Tom brought his students along on that journey with him. He put his mom and Cathy in front of his own opportunities.
I consider our friendship to be one of the great treasures of my life. Very few days go by without me thinking of what Tom might say or do. It’s something to say when you can have a very intense discussion about the meaning and application of complex ideas and in the next paragraph have a belly laugh about the vicissitudes of everyday life. What a friend. He lived his values, he spoke his truths, he wrote beautifully, he truly loved. He will never be forgotten.
—by Elizabeth Kozleski, adjunct professor of special education
—continued on page 24
Introducing the Black Alumni Advisory Council
The newly created University of Kansas School of Education & Human Sciences Black Alumni Advisory Council (BAAC) was formed to advise School leaders on issues and support for future, current and former Black/African American students in the School; foster a spirit of loyalty and collegiality among alumni and friends of the School; consider ways to assist financially and provide various support for future and current Black/African American students; and review progress and provide feedback on these goals.
We talked with three members of the BAAC executive committee about their work, the impact of alumni of color within the School and the council’s future goals.
Craig Jackson Jr. (M.S.E. in higher education administration, 2014), associate vice chancellor for advancement, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Danica Moore (B.S.E. in elementary education & teaching, 2006; M.S.E. in curriculum & instruction, TESOL emphasis, 2013; Ed.D., learning and leading, Vanderbilt University, 2021)
THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING WITH US.
Tonya A. Waller (B.A., English, 1993; M.Ed. in education administration, Washburn University, 2003; Ed.D., higher education administration, 2018), director of KU CCAMPIS Program in the KU Achievement & Assessment Institute’s Center for Educational Opportunity Programs (CEOP)
PLEASE TELL US ABOUT THE KU SCHOOL OF EDUCATION & HUMAN SCIENCES BLACK ALUMNI ADVISORY COUNCIL (BAAC). WHAT IS ITS PURPOSE/MISSION?
Jackson Jr.: The BAAC has several essential aims. First, it is our opportunity to reengage with the School of Education & Human Sciences in a meaningful way. Not only do we philanthropically support the school, but we hope to mentor students, share the mission and vision of the School in our networks, and serve in an advisory role.
Moore: The groundwork for the BAAC started in 2020-2021 during the stay-home time of the pandemic. The beginnings were simply a group of alumni who were in contact with Dean Ginsberg in some capacity reflecting on what could best support current KU students. After a short break, we resumed into an official committee with goals and objectives to enhance the experiences, retention and recruitment of Black students in the School.
Representation matters, and I believe it is important to students to see Black alumni actively engaged in the School — working to ensure that students feel seen and that their needs are being met as they pursue their degrees.
—Danica Moore
Q. A.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO JOIN THE COUNCIL?
Jackson Jr.: KU changed my life, and I have developed such rich relationships with Dean Ginsberg and Dr. Kamatuka. I couldn’t say no when they asked me to serve the School in this capacity.
Moore: When I was invited to the initial meeting and heard the purpose, it was aligned with my recent experiences and narratives shared with me when I had served as an adjunct professor. The experiences my undergrad students and the doctoral students I was in community with really tugged at my heart, because they were identical to experiences I had more than 15 years ago as an undergraduate in JRP. I wanted to contribute to sustainable systems and solutions and position these voices in a way they could not be denied. The timing of the BAAC was almost a divine assignment.
Waller: When I was first approached by my supervisor, Dr. Ngondi Kamatuka, about the formation of this committee, I was very excited! Representation matters, and I believe it is important to students to see Black alumni actively engaged in the School — working to ensure that students feel seen and that their needs are being met as they pursue their degrees.
Q. A.
PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN THE COUNCIL. WHAT IS YOUR ROLE?
Jackson Jr.: I am the inaugural chair of the BAAC and a member of the Dean’s National Advisory Board. Moore: I am the co-chair of the committee. I attend both the exec team meetings and the general committee meetings. I also support sub-committees as needed while also being a participant of the Recruitment Sub-Committee. One of the components I always want to keep in the forefront of my participation is that we are all alumni of the KU School of Education & Human Sciences and are volunteering our time for a place we hold close to our hearts. In order to make sure people’s time is honored and that the group builds beyond the professional realm, I like to implement different activities in the first five or 10 minutes of each meeting to spark some joy, laughter and meaningful connections so we don’t burn out with business-as-usual mentality. Waller: I serve on the executive committee as the secretary.
Q. A. Q. A.
HOW HAS THE BAAC CONTRIBUTED TO SUPPORTING STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION & HUMAN SCIENCES?
Jackson Jr.: We raised roughly $5,000 to support students, faculty and staff during One Day One KU. We meet with Dean Ginsburg and Dr. Kamatuka to serve as thought partners to address various challenges for the School and are advocates in our community.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ACCOMPLISHMENTS FROM YOUR TIME SERVING ON THE COUNCIL?
Jackson Jr.: Roughly 75% of BAAC members have terminal degrees. Working with so many Black educators with terminal degrees has been a joy. However, even removing degree attainment from the conversation, the BAAC is genuinely a collection of brilliant and successful Black educators who love KU and want to support the excellence of the SOEHS. I consider it an honor to partner and be in the presence of trailblazers that span many decades. At each meeting, I get to learn from them.
Moore: Since we are just getting started, the parts that are falling into place and giving us a stable foundation include our Highlighted Member and Cheers & Triumphs opening of the meeting. It’s nice to learn more about each other since we represent a wide span of years at KU.
The sub-committees have launched goals and action plans to attain them after just one sub-committee gathering. Waller: Since we are a new committee and have not yet been able to execute plans, the best part thus far has been meeting like-minded alumni from the school who are interested in serving in support of students.
—Tonya A. Waller “
The best part has been meeting like-minded alumni who are interested in serving in support of students.”
A. Q. A. Q. A.
HOW DID YOUR EXPERIENCES IN THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION & HUMAN SCIENCES PREPARE YOU FOR YOUR CAREER?
Jackson Jr.: I will always remember when I got my first assignment back from Dr. Wolf-Wendel, which was covered in red. She demanded excellence and a certain standard. I was furious. However, I am a better higher education professional because she constantly challenged me and my classmates. It’s moments like that when you’re in it — you maybe don’t appreciate the lesson, but later you realize you are better for it. I know I am better for my experiences in the higher education program.
Moore: My courses taught me the foundations of solid lesson plan writing and executing all the stages in teaching applications. If I look at where I am now in my career, I believe it is the experiences and knowledge I gathered after starting in the education career that allowed me to enter equity facilitation. I’m most inspired to facilitate the kind of learning that bridges the gaps, things that prospective education candidates and current school leaders are not receiving in their formal education process and programs. This was my biggest motivation when I accepted the opportunity to teach in the program that prepared me at KU for two years.
Waller: My time spent earning my doctorate from KU really helped me grow professionally. My program in educational leadership & policy studies helped me hone my knowledge and abilities as a leader in educational spaces and provided an understanding of how university systems function. Most importantly, I think the School helped me to solidify my interests in and knowledge of educational equity, which helps me to be a more effective program director.
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP CAREER TIPS FOR CURRENT KU STUDENTS?
Jackson Jr.: I have three: 1. Enjoy the journey. Don’t be in a rush to reach your long-term goal; remain present for every ebb and flow. 2. Never burn a bridge. You never know who might open the next door for you.
3. Give back. You always get more in return.
Moore: Networking and exploring the organizational levels of the career field are critical. There are so many roles you can serve in education that are not covered or discussed in educational undergraduate degree programs. It is important to know all the ways in which you can contribute to the field before you choose a path that leads you to limited options that minimize your skills and potential.
Waller: Find your passion and figure out how to make it pay!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY OF KU AND/OR LAWRENCE?
Jackson Jr.: KU beat Ohio State in the Final Four in 2012, and I celebrated with what felt like the entire state of Kansas on Mass Street. What a night.
Moore: I was recruited to the PRiME program (later changed to MSP Scholars Program). I will forever remember all the times our group was able to sit with Gale Sayers Jr. and soak up all his wisdom and guidance. He was such a genuine mentor. Dr. Susan King always kept me laughing and invited me to lunch and brunch. This is how I was introduced to Milton’s restaurant and became a brunch-for-life fan!
Waller: Union parties, Joe’s Donuts, finding my political voice and making lifelong friends!
It’s moments like that when you’re in it — you maybe don’t appreciate the lesson, but later you realize you are better for it. I know I am better for my experiences in the higher education program.”
—Craig Jackson Jr.
Congratulations, 2024 TPE grads!
Congratulations to our 2024 KU Transition to Postsecondary Education graduates Eric Larsen, Dylan Shemitz, Marzook Islam, Lizzie Whiteman, Mason Ott and Anna Nardella.
KU Transition to Postsecondary Education is a two-year, inclusive college certificate program for young adults with intellectual disabilities. Students complete at least 24 hours of KU credit-bearing courses that are included on their KU transcript, participate in career internships and fully engage in KU student life. Since 2016, 40 students have been KU Jayhawks through TPE. Learn more: tpe.ku.edu/
ALUMNI HONORS
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION & HUMAN SCIENCES
HONORS 2024 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENTS
The University of Kansas School of Education & Human Sciences honored two individuals with the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award on Friday, May 10 at the School’s spring convocation ceremony at the Lied Center of Kansas.
Matt Enyart earned his master’s degree in special education from KU in 2009. He accumulated nearly 30 years of experience in quality-of-life-driven work. His pursuit of knowledge and making a difference led him to embark on a doctoral program in the School, focusing on Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), Positive Behavior Support (PBS) and quality of life research.
Enyart previously directed the training and research efforts of the Kansas Institute for Positive Behavior Support (KIPBS) and the Positive Kansas Communities (PKC) Network. He also created an organization named TASK (Training and Advocacy Supports of Kansas LLC) through which he oversaw case management for individuals with disabilities, as well as providing consultation and training statewide in both Oregon and Iowa. With the support of the University of Kansas and the State of Kansas, Enyart founded the Kansas Institute for Positive, Healthy, and Inclusive Communities (KIPHIC). As the executive director of KIPHIC, Enyart continued to lead research and training efforts across various projects, all aimed at building positive, healthy and inclusive communities in Kansas.
His work extended beyond academic institutions, and Enyart’s spirit of compassion led him to make a profound difference in the lives of families and children in the LGBTQIA+ community. He was the founder of Rainbow Kids and Family, a nonprofit organization that provided direct support, love and acceptance to families in need.
In addition to his professional achievements, Enyart cherished his role as a father and stepfather. He and his loving and devoted partner, Kris Matthews, worked tirelessly to create a better world so their family could be a part of the inclusive and supportive community he knew was possible.
Surrounded by his loving family, Enyart died July 13, 2023, after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
A service to celebrate his life was held in August 2023, at the White Schoolhouse in north Lawrence, Kansas.
“We, in the Department of Special Education, are deeply honored to have known him and to have shared in his work. He was a relentless advocate and is deeply missed,” says Jennifer A. Kurth, chair and associate professor in the Department of Special Education, in an article for The Lawrence Times
Scot Pollard is a former professional basketball player, actor and television personality who earned his bachelor’s degree from the School in 1997. His professional athletic career spanned 11 years from 1997 to 2008, during which he played for five teams: starting as a first-round draft pick with the Detroit Pistons, followed by five years with Sacramento Kings, three with the Indiana Pacers, one with the Cleveland Cavaliers and one with the Boston Celtics, with whom he won an NBA Championship during his final year as a player. Pollard advanced to the NBA Playoffs every season except for his first.
Additionally, Pollard served in a variety of roles in the sports and entertainment industries, including as commentator for KU local television, pre- and post-game show coverage for FOX, and radio color analyst. His film and television credits include Survivor, Barrio Tales, Destination Planet Negro, Axeman and Jayhawkers. He has delivered numerous motivational speeches to private companies, schools and universities, and sports audiences.
From 2013 to 2019, Pollard and his wife, Dawn Pollard, partnered with the School of Education & Human Sciences and the late Gale Sayers to organize the Gale Sayers & Scot Pollard Golf Classic, an annual event benefiting the Multicultural Scholars Program at KU. In addition, from 2014 to 2020, the Pollards sponsored the KU School of Education & Human Sciences Bowling Tournament Fundraiser, which benefited student supports within the School.
One of Pollard’s most significant personal journeys in recent years involved becoming the recipient of a heart transplant in February 2024 after several years of health issues further complicated by a contracted virus. In honor of his openness about his transplant journey and advocacy for organ donation, Pollard was recognized by the Midwest Transplant Network as a Green Ribbon Champion during National Donate Life Month in 2024.
Enyart
Scot and Dawn Pollard
“Scot has been active in supporting the School of Education & Human Sciences through fundraising and student support events,” says Rick Ginsberg, dean of the School. “He is a well-known graduate and sports figure who selflessly gives his time to support our school and our students, and now as an advocate for organ donation.”
KANSAS TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Taylor Bussinger (B.S.E., 2014, M.S.E., 2018), a social studies teacher at Prairie Trail Middle School in Olathe Unified School District 233, was named 2024 Kansas Teacher of the Year.
The prestigious award affords Bussinger (known by his students as “Mr. Buss”) the opportunity to travel throughout the state during his term. During the first half of his term, in fact, Bussinger logged thousands miles to work with future educators, present at conferences and offer professional development workshops for educators.
At a ceremony in January in front of the south steps at the Kansas State Capitol, he was presented with a set of keys to a vehicle to help with his travel through an Enterprise Holdings Foundation grant.
“I don’t know who I am without being a teacher. It’s allowed me the opportunity to figure out who I am,” Bussinger says. “I want to bring that message to teachers and I want to uplift the voice of our teachers and students alike. That’s my goal.”
The Teacher of the Year program has state and national competitions. The national program, presented by Voya Financial, is a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers. The Kansas program is sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE).
Elizabeth Anstine (M.S.E., 2016), was recently named 2025 Kansas Teacher of the Year. Anstine is a business teacher at Leavenworth High School.
RANKED NO. 20 BEST EDUCATION
SCHOOL U.S. News & World Report 2024
Join the experts in the KU School of Education & Human Sciences to further your career as an educator and become the best possible resource for your students. 82% of KU graduates in education report a salary boost upon graduation with an average increase of 12%.1 KU’s unparalleled professional training empowers you with the skills, knowledge and theoretical background to meet students’ needs in any location or circumstance.
Choose your specialty.
93% of graduates recommend KU for education graduate programs.1 KU offers online master’s degrees, graduate certificates and licensure programs in:
• Curriculum & Instruction
• Special and Inclusive Education
• Educational Administration & Leadership Policy
Bussinger
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS
RESEARCH AWARD WINNERS
Fifty-five Jayhawks have been selected to receive Undergraduate Research Awards of $1,000 in spring 2025, including Brett Chapman and Mason Thieu, who are working on mentored projects with Quincy R. Johnson, assistant professor, HSES.
LEADERSHIP AWARD WINNERS
Seven Jayhawks received the KU Alumni Association’s Black Alumni Network’s inaugural Emerging Leaders awards, including Olivia Jones, a doctoral student in counseling psychology.
INTEGRATING AI INTO HIGHER EDUCATION
Luke Parker, a doctoral student in curriculum & teaching, received a research award from the Office of Graduate Studies for his project “Transforming Academic Landscapes: A Comprehensive Study of Artificial Intelligence’s Integration in Higher Education.”
Steven White, associate professor, C&T, and Parker’s faculty advisor, says the research aims to provide a comprehensive overview of how AI technologies are being integrated into various facets of campus life.
Through a wide-ranging survey methodology encompassing graduate students, faculty and staff, Parker’s study examines the diverse patterns of AI usage, attitudes and ethical perceptions within the university community.
By critically examining the potential of AI to revolutionize educational practices, Parker aims to inform the development of robust ethical frameworks and guidelines for AI integration in academia.
“The value of research lies in its application; I hope that the research I do is not contrived to a journal article or book chapter that is never read, but instead is used to inform policy, to inform practice and ultimately to benefit students and teachers,” Parker says.
JAYHAWK NOMINATED FOR ExCEL AWARD
OTHER AMAZING FEATS
Bailey Oxborrow, a junior in sport management, was selected as a finalist for the 2024 Excellence in Community, Education, and Leadership (ExCEL) Award.
Nominees for the ExCEL Award were selected based on their leadership, communication skills, involvement at KU and in the Lawrence community, academic scholarship, and ability to work with a variety of students and organizations.
Samantha Goldman, a doctoral student in special education, has been selected for the 17th cohort of the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division for Research Doctoral Student Scholars, an honor recognizing outstanding emerging scholars in special education.
Anna Korn, a senior in sport management, was selected by the KU Alumni Association to serve as executive director of its student-led Homecoming Steering Committee in 2024.
Jill Koundakjian, who is pursuing a master’s in TESOL, was awarded a $1,500 scholarship from Negative Population Growth, Inc., for her essay.
Lauren Riedstra, Alden Pennington, Ellie Anderson and Mady Mikko were nominated for the 2024 Student Employee of the Year. Mikko (not pictured here, but see page 21) and Pennington were also selected as finalists.
Oxborrow
From left: Sarah Collins, assistant teaching professor (HSES): Riedstra; Pennington; Katarina Moore, assistant director of undergraduate recruitment for the School; and Anderson
Parker
STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP SPOTLIGHT
Counseling psychology doctoral degree candidate Lauren Zaeske was selected as a recipient of a $2,500 grant through the 2023 Steven O. Walfish Competition for her work, “Addressing Harm from Adverse Religious/Spiritual Experiences in Therapy: A Scoping Review.”
Abhishek Juneja, doctoral student in educational psychology & research, advanced to the finals of the Three Minute Thesis Competition.
Emma Jones, a senior majoring in environmental studies with a minor in sport management, received KU’s Kathryn Nemeth Tuttle Student Scholar Award. This award is presented to a graduating senior scholarship hall student who has demonstrated academic focus, leadership in the scholarship hall, and commitment to the KU and Lawrence, Kansas, communities.
FOUR TIMES A JAYHAWK
SOEHS alum Cassie Nix (M.S. in secondary science education, 2013) began work on her fourth (!) University
Carly Hayden, a senior in elementary education, received several scholarships: the School of Education & Human Sciences Rising Scholarship, the Pamela Stone Stroup Education Scholarship, the Edward M. Wolpert Scholarship and the Genevieve Margrave Scholarship, PEACE Project.
“Receiving these scholarships has allowed me to focus on my education and goals without the burden of expenses. Without them, I would not be able to be a full-time student,” Hayden says. “These opportunities allow me to learn and grow and continue my path of becoming a teacher.”
Hayden says that the financial aid also helped fund her student teaching experience, including professional clothing, food to pack lunches, and gas as she commuted every day to and from her placement in Olathe, Kansas.
“Additionally, the PEACE Project funds have helped me afford my ESOL endorsement. I am passionate about being the best teacher I can be and I want to be well equipped to support all students. Receiving the PEACE Project fund allows me to do this,” she says.
She continues, “I feel incredibly grateful to KU and the School for supporting me through my path to becoming a teacher. My hope for the future is to be an educator who is well equipped to support all students and create a safe, welcoming classroom. My goal is to help students be the best versions of themselves.”
Mady Mikko, a senior in community health, received the School of Education & Human Sciences Recognition Scholarship.
“This scholarship has enabled me to take advantage of opportunities that have enriched my understanding and skills. Through internships, coursework and student organizations, the financial support has given me the freedom to pursue experiences that will make me a more effective and knowledgeable professional in the field of community health,” Mikko says. “One experience that was made possible was my internship with Kansas Governor Laura Kelly. Because of the scholarship, I was able to focus on this internship without additional financial stress. I gained hands-on experience in public service and learned about the intricacies of state government and public health policy. I had the opportunity to directly interact with constituents and assist in addressing their concerns. This experience solidified my passion for public health.”
Mikko says the scholarship support significantly influenced her career goals and aspirations by providing both the resources and confidence needed to pursue her passions fully. “It has allowed me to explore more opportunities offered to me at KU and beyond. It has validated my commitment to this field, reinforcing my belief that I can make a meaningful difference,” Mikko says.
Mikko plans to pursue dual master’s degrees in public health and a juris doctorate program beginning in fall 2025. “My degree from KU in community health has opened doors I never anticipated and deepened my passion for public health policy and advocacy. The knowledge and experiences I’ve gained have fueled my desire to make a meaningful impact at the intersection of law and public health. Looking ahead, I hope to use my degrees to advocate for equitable health policies that address systemic issues and promote the well-being of all individuals,” Mikko says.
“This scholarship has played an instrumental role, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunities it has provided.”
Hayden
Mikko
Zaeske
Jones
FACULTY & STAFF ACCOLADES
Dimitrije Cabarkapa, associate director of the Jayhawk Athletic Performance Laboratory, was honored with the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s 2024 Terry J. Housh Outstanding Young Investigator Award.
Sarah Collins, assistant teaching professor in health, sport & exercise sciences, was awarded the 2023-2024 Christopher Haufler KU Core Innovation Award at the Annual Teaching Summit in September.
Stephen Jackson, assistant professor in educational leadership & policy studies, received a 2024 Society of Professors of Education Outstanding Book Award for his book, The Patchwork of World History in Texas High Schools. Jackson also received the 2023 Eugene Asher Distinguished Teaching Award from the American Historical Association.
Quincy Johnson, assistant professor of health, sport & exercise sciences, was named as a finalist for the Del Shankel Teaching Excellence Award from Kansas Athletics’ Student Athlete Advisory Committee.
Lisa Dieker, Williamson Family Distinguished Professor in Special Education, was invited to attend the White House and U.S. Department of Education Summit on Digital Equity, Inclusion, and Emerging Technology in August.
Min-Young Kim, assistant professor in curriculum & teaching, received the Alan C. Purves Award from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). The award is presented annually to the author(s) of the Research in the Teaching of English article from the previous year’s volume judged as likely to have the greatest impact on educational practice.
Arpita Ghosh, associate professor of counseling psychology, won the Early Career Professional award from the Society for Vocational Psychology.
Amanda Mollet, assistant professor of educational leadership & policy studies, was selected to serve as vice president, volunteer leadership for the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Leadership Council.
Cabarkapa
Kim
Jackson
Collins
Dieker
Ghosh
Johnson
Mollet
Jennifer Ng, professor and chair in the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, was selected to serve as the inaugural associate director for faculty development for the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA).
Eugene Parker III and Zak Foste, both associate professors of higher education administration, were elected to the 2024 American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Leadership Council.
Faculty updates
RETIREMENTS
These School of Education & Human Sciences faculty and staff members retired after the 2023-2024 academic year. On behalf of the School, we thank them for their dedication and service to the university and to their respective fields.
Manuela Gonzalez-Bueno (26 years) associate professor emerita, C&T Gonzalez-Bueno’s expertise focused on foreign language teaching methodologies, in general, and in teaching grammar and pronunciation, in particular, while at the same time incorporating the element of technology as a way to enhance both learning and teaching.
Patricia Lowe (22 years) professor emerita, EPSY Lowe’s research focused on the areas of anxiety in children, adolescents and college students; behavioral and personality assessment; measurement; and prevention.
Shaunna Price (11 years)
SPED Price served the School of Education & Human Sciences as the department manager and program coordinator in the Department of Special Education until her retirement in August 2024.
Susan Twombly (38 years) professor emerita, ELPS Twombly’s expertise focused on postsecondary faculty members’ careers, international higher education and community colleges.
Wayne Sailor (28 years) professor, SPED faculty program coordinator, ELPS Sailor’s academic pursuits focused on comprehensive school reform at the elementary, middle and high school levels.
Michael Wehmeyer (25 years) Ross and Marianna Beach Distinguished Professor Emeritus, SPED Wehmeyer’s research focused on self-determination and self-determined learning, the application of positive psychology and strengths-based approaches to disability, and the education of students with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
PROMOTIONS ANNOUNCED
The School of Education & Human Sciences is pleased to announce that Chancellor Douglas A. Girod has approved promotion and the award of tenure to the following faculty.
EFFECTIVE FALL 2024
To professor
Hyesun Cho, C&T Brian Gordon, HSES Jennifer Kurth, SPED
To associate professor Arpita Ghosh, EPSY Christopher Niileksela, EPSY
Kathleen Tuck, SPED
Ng
Parker Foste
Tom Skrtic, continued from page 13
People who knew Tom often described him as a larger-than-life figure — a true scholar with a sharp intellect, an animated and engaging speaking style and a fierce devotion to his sister, students and friends. Tom was, and remains, the single most influential person in my professional life.
I never anticipated that Tom would become such a central figure in my life. Our early relationship could only be described as tumultuous. If you had asked Tom in the early 1990s who among his students was the biggest pain in the you-know-what, he likely would have answered: “Egnor, you know, that tall, argumentative guy.” At the same time, if someone had asked me which of my professors was the biggest pain in my you-know-what, I would have said, “Tom Skrtic, you know, that professor with the long hair and fanny pack.”
My 30-plus year relationship with Tom began by chance — or perhaps by fate. In my final year as an Ed.S. student in school psychology, Tom stepped in as a last-minute replacement to teach the course on special education exceptionalities. For those familiar with Tom’s work, the irony of him teaching a course on special education exceptionalities is difficult to miss.
When first entering the classroom, I noticed a middleaged but youthful-looking man casually leaning against a table at the front, facing the entrance. I assumed he was waiting to deliver an important message to the course professor, or hand over a small article that was tucked away in his fanny pack. But it soon became clear that this wasn’t a delivery person or a graduate student — it was the professor! After a brief introduction and reminder of the course name, Dr. (“call me Tom”) Skrtic outlined the class: The first half would cover major special education policies, practices and foundational assumptions. The second half would switch to an “immanent critique” of those same policies, practices and assumptions. Tom planned to “deconstruct” the
dominant discourses in these areas before “reconstructing” them, proposing an alternative school organizational structure and professional culture he called “adhocracy.”
It became clear to me that Dr. (I refused to call him Tom) Skrtic was not-so-subtly implying that everything I was preparing for as a school psychologist would only serve to further pathologize diversity, based on faulty, implicit, unquestioned assumptions equating “schooling” with “educating.” And what were those implicit assumptions that my future school psychologist self was about to perpetuate? They were: that disability is a physical phenomenon, that disability is a type of chronic illness, that disability is individually owned, and that disability is a condition that requires fixing.
Putting yourself in my position as a school psychology graduate student, what would you have done? I was a royal pain in his you-know-what.
Three years later, this pain in his you-know-what was sitting at the front of his conference presentations within the state and across neighboring states, nodding in agreement with what he was saying. And when I worked up the courage, I asked Tom Skrtic to take me on as his doctoral student. To my surprise and never-ending gratitude, Tom said yes.
By that point, I had served as a school psychologist in Topeka for three years and had gradually begun to understand what I had failed to grasp before. What was supposed to be an objective decision regarding a child’s eligibility for special education was fraught with political and subjective undertones and pressures.
To this day, I still feel his influence. I am just one of many who have been “Skrticized,” and I hope that those who knew Tom will recognize themselves in these words and find comfort in his wisdom.
—by David Egnor (Ph.D., 2000), associate division director, Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education
The School of Education & Human Sciences notes with sorrow the passing of these valued colleagues, alumni and friends
Alisa Branham, 67, on October 7, 2024. Branham worked at KU for 25 years, from 1997 to 2022. She served as the licensure officer for the School until her retirement, a position that allowed her to help students and alumni working in K-12 education. She taught a number of courses at KU, including a required course in the History and Philosophy of Design for the KU Design Department, where her husband Richard Branham was the senior professor in Interaction Design. She also taught genealogy classes locally. “She was a kind soul, who served students, faculty and staff with understanding and care without regard to the specific request,” says Rick Ginsberg, dean of the School. “She always went above and beyond in answering queries and helping people get whatever they needed from her office. She and her husband Richard were a perfect and loving couple, who shared common interests in travel, genealogy and other pursuits.”
Lois Emelia Plank Capps, 92, on August 28, 2024. Mrs. Capps was the wife of the late Dr. Lelon R. Capps, who served as director of elementary education, assistant dean and associate dean for the School of Education & Human Sciences. Dr. Capps passed away on January 19, 2019. The Capps family supported the KU School of Education & Human Sciences community and students through the Mathematics Education Scholarship, the Lelon Capps Lecture Series, the Lelon R. Capps Center in JRP, which was named in Dr. Capps’ honor in 2022, and other donations.
Lynann Jean Fraker, 77, on July 4, 2024. A dedicated teacher for more than 43 years, Fraker attended and graduated from Fort Hays State College with a bachelor’s degree in education, specializing in special education. After teaching two and half years in Topeka, she completed a master’s degree in education of the emotionally disturbed with a minor in learning disabilities at the University of Kansas. Lynn continued teaching for more than 25 years at Rainbow Mental Health Facility in Kansas City, Kansas, USD 500. She later worked part time for the Shawnee Mission, Kansas, School District as a homebound instructor/ substitute teacher. In 1995, Lynn was initiated in Delta Kappa Gamma teaching sorority. She was nominated and received Keys for Networking Best Teacher award in 2001. She continued to be involved in many committees and served as chapter president from 2004 to 2006.
James Milton Kauffman, 83, on September 25, 2024. Kauffman obtained his doctoral degree in special education from KU and was mentored by Dr. Richard Whelan. Kauffman dedicated his life to serving the special education community as a special educator, advocate, professor, researcher and prolific writer in the areas of disabilities, behavior management and related topics.
Ruth Mary Browning Noyce, 98 on August 27, 2024. Noyce attended the University of Michigan and the University of Chicago. She received her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Missouri at Kansas City, earning her the nickname “Doc,” which she was called by all who knew and loved her. Noyce taught at various local elementary schools prior to accepting a faculty position with the University of Kansas in 1971. She taught in the KU School of Education & Human Sciences for nearly 20 years, during which time she co-authored a book about teaching children how to read. She won numerous awards, including the Amoco Teaching Excellence Award and a nomination for the prestigious Hope Award. In addition to her teaching, Noyce supported students through donations to the School’s general scholarship fund.
William (Bill) Wilson, 87, on August 11, 2024. Wilson completed his early education in Colby, Kansas, and graduated from Colby Community High School in 1954. He earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Kansas in 1958. Bill furthered his education by obtaining a master’s degree in music education from KU and an additional master’s degree in guidance and counseling from Fort Hays State College. In 1980, he received a doctorate in education from KU.
TAKING EDUCATION AND HUMAN SCIENCES INTO THE FUTURE
Your generosity has the power to transform lives in the KU School of Education & Human Sciences. Together, we can support future leaders and make sure Jayhawks continue to receive the skills, knowledge and experience they need — so that society benefits from gifted teachers, guides, coaches and human sciences professionals who inspire the next generation.
The University of Kansas EVER ONWARD campaign is an ambitious effort to raise funds for numerous programs, projects and initiatives designed to transform education, spur discovery and create a healthier world. Schools, units and organizations across the university and academic medical center have come together with highlighted priorities that will advance their individual goals while creating a greater KU that benefits our communities, the state, the region and the world. The School of Education & Human Sciences has prioritized these four areas of support:
FACULTY SUPPORT
Invest in academic excellence and innovation by supporting our distinguished faculty. Your gift will establish the Dean’s Teaching and Research Fellows Program, providing faculty members with important resources for teaching and research. Additionally, your contribution will fund the Future Leaders Administrative Fellows Program, preparing faculty for leadership roles and ensuring the continued strength of our school. Together, we can empower faculty members to drive groundbreaking research and inspire the next generation of faculty leaders.
STUDENT SUPPORT
Make a difference in the lives of our students. Your donation will empower the next generation of leaders through student support initiatives, including funding for undergraduate scholarships, graduate fellowships and mentorship programs, ensuring that all students have access to invaluable educational opportunities. With your help, we can remove financial barriers and also provide essential support for internships, study abroad experiences and mentoring.
Want to be a part of this historic campaign?
INNOVATION INCUBATOR FUND
Ignite innovation and entrepreneurship by contributing to the Innovation Incubator Fund. Your gift will enable faculty members to pursue groundbreaking ideas, develop new programs and drive technological advancements in education and human sciences. Your donation will contribute to a vibrant culture of innovation, providing faculty with the resources and support they need to bring their ideas to life. Together, we can shape the future of our School and make lasting impacts on our institution and academic fields.
INCLUSION FUND
Strengthen inclusion initiatives in the School. Your generosity will create funding support for students, faculty and staff through the Equity Support Fund, providing critical resources to address their needs. Additionally, your donation will help establish the School’s Inclusion Program, a facilitated group led by School leadership that will hold monthly discussions with students. Furthermore, your gift will support students considering academic careers through the Holmes Scholar Doctoral Scholarship Fund. By investing in these initiatives, you can help us build inclusive, supportive communities.
Contact Laura Meyer at KU Endowment, LMeyer@kuendowment.org, 785-832-7372. Scan this code or visit kueveronward.org to learn more.
LIKE RECEIVING THE JAYHAWK EDUCATOR?
Much of our work and our future would not be possible without support from our generous donors. We’re thrilled to share the achievements and latest news from our alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends with you in The Jayhawk Educator
If you’d like to help us keep this magazine available in print, please consider making a gift to the KU School of Education & Human Sciences. Those who make a gift of any amount will receive a printed copy of The Jayhawk Educator. Visit rockcha.lk/soehs-give or connect with Laura Meyer (LMeyer@kuendowment.org or 785-832-7372) and our partners at KU Endowment to make your gift.
You’re a Jayhawk, and you make big differences!
We are proud of alumni from the School of Education & Human Sciences for all you do in our communities, across the state and the nation, and throughout the world.
Congratulations to these alumni for their recent accomplishments:
Samantha Brant (M.S.E., 2015) and Finn Finnerty (B.S.E., 2024) were among nine KU students to advance to the semifinalist round for Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Teresa Clounch (Ed.D., 2010), associate vice president for student life and dean of students and diversity officer at Washburn University, received the 2024 NASPA Pillar of the Profession.
Abby Coffin (Ed.D., 2018) and Alex Cruse (M.S.E., 2021) received the 2023-2024 National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Excellence Awards.
Bill DeWitt, who earned a Building Leadership endorsement from KU in 2009 and served as a lecturer in C&T, is now principal at Eudora High School in Kansas.
Kate Herrenbruck (B.S.E., 2022), a teacher at Trailwood Middle School, was nominated in the Shawnee Mission District in Kansas for the Horizon Award, which recognizes outstanding first-year teachers.
Tyler Hicks, postdoctoral researcher in SPED beginning in 2017 and now director of quantitative methodology in the KU Center on Developmental Disabilities, received the Steven F. Warren Research Achievement Award.
Steven Johnson Jr. (Ed.D., 2022) is one of seven Jayhawks who received the KU Alumni Association’s Black Alumni Network’s inaugural Emerging Leaders awards.
Jarius Jones (Ed.D., 2018), Ngondi Kamatuka (Ph.D., 1987) and Milt Newton (M.S.E., 1992) were honored with the Mike & Joyce Shinn Leaders and Innovators Award from KU Alumni Association’s Black Alumni Network.
Judy Korb (Ph.D., 2004) was named interim Johnson County Community College president earlier this year.
Jada Mitchell (B.S.E., 2022) was selected as the Horizon Award winner at John Diemer Elementary School in Overland Park, Kansas.
The Center for Applied Special Technology recognized Loui Lord Nelson (Ph.D., 2002) with the Anne Meyer UDL Design Award in 2024.
Deirdre Pilch (Ed.D., 2001), Greeley-Evans School District 6 superintendent, was named Colorado’s Superintendent of the Year by the Colorado Association of School Executives.
You put your knowledge and experience to work for the greater good every day in big and small ways. What you are doing is important, and we can’t thank you enough.
Clounch
DeWitt
Johnson Jr.
Pilch
Newton
Korb
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James Polk (B.S.E., 2009), formerly principal at Quail Run Elementary School in Lawrence, Kansas, has been named to an administrative role at the district level.
Quentin Rials (M.S.E., 2017) and Zach Harwood (B.S., 2013) were promoted from interim to permanent positions as principals at Lawrence High School and Lawrence Virtual School, respectively.
Jayme Uden (Ed.D., 2012) accepted a new leadership role at Park University as chief human resources officer.
Ingrid Yew (M.S.E., 2022), a teacher at Sunset Hill Elementary, was named one of the top teachers in “Best of Lawrence” K-5 Teacher category.
Sheahon J. Zenger (Ph.D., 1996) was named the 21st president of Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois.
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Please complete the form above and mail it back to us in an envelope. Be sure to let us know if your name or address has changed so we can update our records if necessary. If you prefer, you may e-mail your information to us at argrender@ku.edu.
